A Quiescent Nightmare
by Mechanical Queen
Summary: 13 year old Armin Arlert has lived his life inside the walls, dedicated to seeing the outside world. Such a dream seems unattainable until he receives a letter, inviting him to go to The Rose Academy, a military preparatory school. Once there, he finds that even his nightmarish world can be made peaceful. Rated T for some language/romance. Aruani and Eremika.
1. Introduction

The view was incredible. The ground beneath him was blanketed in untouched snow for miles to come. Jagged glaciers pierced the sky whilst the tide gently lapped against the frozen shoreline. The blinding white set a shiver down his spine, and his lips formed a smile before the Earth began shaking.

"Armin!" A familiar voice yelled.

The blonde haired, blue eyed boy turned around. In front of his eyes, his best friend, Eren Jaeger was slipping towards an ominous crack in the ice.

"Armin!" The dark haired boy cried out once more, yet Armin found he couldn't move, he could only watch as his friend slid towards the darkness.

"Armin." A different voice tossed him from the dream and he blinked a few times until his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight flooding into his room. He sat up, pushing his shoulder length hair back off his admittedly sweaty forehead. In his drowsy state, he glanced out his window, then jumped back in shock. Looking in through the open window, half of his body already in the room, was none other than the same brownish black haired boy with startling green eyes.

"Dammit Eren, you scared me."

Eren grinned wildly before being completely shoved into the room by an unknown force. He landed in a heap on the floor and another friendly face peered in. Her lengthy black hair floated delicately next to her face, her grey eyes seeming to sigh with disapproval.

"Mikasa, what the heck!? You could have given me some warning!" Eren protested before being stepped on and sent back down to the floor as Mikasa let herself in.

The "I'm sorry, Armin. Eren's being an idiot." The Asian girl perched on the windowsill as Eren got up for the second time. "We came to ask you if you'd ever heard of the Rose Academy."

Armin rubbed his eyes, thinking. "I-I don't think so, why?"

Mikasa responded by handing him an unopened envelope. The calligraphy on the front was impressively done, carefully spelling out his name and home address. It was secured on the back by use of a wax insignia, two swords crossing behind a delicate rose. "The swords," he muttered aloud, "They almost look like the training corps symbol."

Eren sat down next to him. "Well, open it already!"

Armin moved to pull the seal off before stopping. "Wait, did you two go through our mail?" He and his grandfather rarely got any, except for occasional utility bills.

"That's not important," Mikasa spoke up. "Just open it."

Armin rolled his eyes and pulled out a letter addressed to him. His eyes scanned it, thoroughly digesting the information before glancing back to his friends.

"Well?" Eren gestured at the piece of paper.

"Well, what?"

"Read it out loud."

Armin sighed before turning back to it. He cleared his throat.

"Dear Mr. Arlert,

We are pleased to invite you to enter Rose Academy, a military preparatory school for individuals with high aspirations. Here at the R.A. we take into consideration many aspects of an individual to decide whether they are fit for our program or not. In your studies, you excelled, making you a worthy candidate for membership. While your physical abilities are lacking, four years of our program may account for that. Our program allows for students younger than 18 to officially join the military, though one's official designation is the Training Corps. Our four year program makes up for the three years and 18-year-old would typically spend preparing to enter a regiment. At the end of your four years, you will be ranked alongside that year's trainees with the same choice they receive. Join the Military Police Brigade, the Garrison, or the Survey Corps. The increased length of our program provides for the necessity of an education for all students. We hope to hear from you.

-Commander-in-Chief Darius Zackly."

Armin set down the letter, blinking at the wall in front of him. Eren stood up. "I'm not surprised they mentioned your intelligence. Mikasa's letter talked about physical ability and mine was sorta vague. I-I wasn't even going to give you the letter, but then Mikasa, well."

Armin looked up at her. "I beat him up and took it from him. It's not his choice if you want to go or not."

Armin hesitated, fixing his eyes on the letter. "I didn't think I'd be any use to the military. I'm not like you guys."

"You see, Mikasa, the boy speaks sense-"

"But," Armin interrupted. "If they need someone intelligent... I can't imagine myself doing anything else except becoming titan food."

Eren whined as he spoke, "Armin, please."

Mikasa grabbed Eren by his hair and pulled him to the floor again, holding his face there. "Armin, do what you want to do. As kids you two wouldn't shut up about going outside. Besides, I'd feel better about having another set of eyes on Eren at the R.A. No doubt he's going to start fights."

Armin smiled slightly. "Well, I'll think about it."

Eren, though still worried, let out a slight grin. "It'd be nice to have you there." He turned his head to Mikasa. "You can let me up now."

She wordlessly released him and began climbing out of the window. Eren soon followed suit before turning back to face his friend. "Four more years, Armin. And then? We see the outside world."

Armin had just begun to swing his legs out of his bed when the sky lit up with a greenish blur. His blue eyes widened and he leaned out the window. Up above the wall, glaring down with a meaty face was what Armin could only assume was a titan.

Outside the room, Eren breathed out the few words floating through the trio's heads. "Is that a... titan? But it's so... big."

A rumble filled the air and a cloud of debris thundered into the town square. From a distance, Armin could see great plumes of dust rising. "Oh my God," he whispered almost unintelligibly. Eren burst into action and began running down the street. He yelled something to Mikasa, who in turn followed him. Armin, fighting down panic, quickly changed into clothes more suited for traveling and met with his grandfather in the kitchen. They grabbed their essential belongings and headed towards the boats. A familiar face made Armin pause.

Still in shock, Armin rushed towards Hannes, a soldier he'd known since childhood. He breathlessly explained how Eren and Mikasa had run to their home in search of their family and watched in horror as the soldier ran towards their home.

* * *

There was no more room on the boats. Eren and Mikasa sat in front of Armin, lost in their own worlds. From what he had gathered, Carla, Eren's mother and Mikasa's adoptive mother, had passed away. Grisha, her husband, was nowhere to be found. Hannes had caught up to the two and managed to get them away in time, stashing them on the boats before they set off.

Armin slid to the ground, leaning against a wall. So much had changed. It was only that morning that he'd been debating on the military, but now that he'd seen a titan, he felt reluctant. The blonde tucked his hands into his pockets and jumped as his fingertips brushed thick, heavy paper. He pulled out the letter from earlier, the broken seal a dismal sign of hope. There was still one place he could go. Rose Academy.

Eren's back straightened swiftly and he gazed at the wall with a fierce determination. A tear dripped down his cheek, yet the boy ignored it. "I'm going to kill them. Every single last one of those monsters for what they did."

Mikasa looked up and met his eyes with a grimace. She carefully peeled off her red scarf and moved to stand next to Eren. She tucked her scarf around the two of them, holding onto the vow he'd made as if it were life itself.

As Eren's eyes filled with tears and a personal vendetta against the titans, Armin couldn't help thinking that that was the second time that day where he'd watched his friend descend into darkness.

* * *

I do not own or claim to own Attack on Titan or any such characters. Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama.


	2. The Rose Academy

The academy was impressive, there was no doubt about that. Cream colored walls stretched towards the sky with massive towers connecting each corner. Long rows of windows marked where each individual room lay, whether it was a dormitory or classroom. The building itself, while mossy vines slowly climbed to the rooftops, was structurally intact and had been made from an abandoned castle only a year prior. Inside, rooms designed to fit four students were cramped, with only enough space for two bunkbeds and a slight passageway in between. The extravagant remains of what was once the top of high society had crumbled for the most part, leaving traces of delicate carvings and rich tapestries. Still, it was clean. Armin couldn't ask for much more.

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stood outside the front gate, watching from a distance as cadets trained in what must have been a previously beautiful courtyard. The three had managed to survive a year within the second wall, getting jobs wherever they could and working together to survive. Armin's grandfather had been sent out of the walls to help reclaim territory, but so far there had been no word about the situation. It was finally time for them to officially enroll.

The three glanced around nervously at the other newcomers, back to back. Mikasa's dress fluttered slightly with the breeze, her eyes trained dead ahead for when the gate would open. Some recruits were making hesitant goodbyes to their loved ones, while others stood by themselves, clearly in the same position as the fourteen year old Shiganshina victims.

Armin glanced at a girl as she walked by with a bag on her shoulders and brown hair neatly tied back. Her mannerisms expressed confidence as she approached the gate and moved to climb it. A boy with shaved hair ran up to her and pulled her down. "Sasha! Keep it together!"

Armin blinked in surprise as the girl let out a dramatic sigh and grabbed her stomach. "I can smell it, Connie. It's waiting for me."

"Yeah, it's waiting for you to shut up and follow the plan, dumbass," he retorted, with a hint of friendliness softening the edge of the insult.

As they bickered, the gate opened wide, revealing several soldiers adorned in Garrison Clothing. They were stonefaced, and led the new crowd into the main foyer. A tall, bald man with darkened skin stood at the front.

"Listen up, cadets. From this point on, you are members of humanity's military. My name is Keith Shadis, but you will not address me as such. Form into lines and salute."

Armin, barely aware of the officer's words, attempted to line up with a few recruits before mimicking the salute he'd seen many times before. The neighboring cadets around him followed his lead, having not been shown what to do. Eren and Mikasa remained impassive, while Armin couldn't help the fear on his face.

Shadis prowled closer, before stopping in front of him. After a series of loud taunts and a questioning that made Armin feel as though he'd committed a crime, the intimidating man moved on to other, less knowledgeable recruits. He repeated himself for several minutes until a clamor rose from the back. Instantly alert, the man hurried to the back, where he found Sasha and Connie suspiciously with their hands behind their back.

Shadis grinned at them, almost too kindly. It made even Mikasa ruffled. "Wouldn't you two like to join in with the rest of the salutes?"

The two troublemakers exchanged nervous glances before placing their food filled hands into position. Strikingly, the girl held a half eaten raw potato in the palm of her hand.

A light of pure rage filled Shadis's eyes. Armin held his breath, and saw that the trainees around him were evidently terrified. The one who had introduced himself as Jean particularly appeared as though he were going to vomit. Marco's sheer paleness had made the freckles on his cheek stick out even more, and a tall boy wearing a greenish blue shirt appeared to be sweating profusely.

"And where," Shadis's voice broke the silence, "did you two find all this food?"

"Sir, I found it in the kitchen," Sasha raised her voice, lacking any fear.

The man straightened, having bent to her level previously. "Is that so. And why, may I ask, is it in your hands?"

The question was directed to Connie, who stammered, searching for an answer. Sasha took another bite of the potato before speaking for him. "Connie here was just additional manpower, I had no intention of giving him any of the food. I was hungry."

Connie abruptly bunched his eyebrows together in frustration. "None of it?"

Armin wanted to groan in exasperation. It was clear that she was covering for him, the idiot. Although, there seemed to be no trace of a lie on her face, which was incredibly disconcerting.

"I see," Shadis mused. "Twenty laps around the track and no dinner for you then!"

At first, Sasha had accepted the punishment, but her face contorted when the man said she wouldn't be allowed to eat. She nodded painfully and handed her potato into his outstretched hand. Connie was given no punishment for his sheer stupidity.

"As for the rest of you," Shadis addressed the rest of the group, "you'll find your dorm postings on this wall, and your schedules in your rooms. Do not be late for any of your assignments. You are dismissed."

The room stayed still until the terrifying man had left. At least one cadet fainted from relief. Armin's legs shook slightly, but was knocked out of it when Eren pushed him towards the boys' arrangement lists.

Eren called to Mikasa as she walked away, "We'll meet up with you later!"

She nodded and briskly stepped past Jean, who was glaring at Eren with apparent jealousy. Armin shook his head clear and ran a hand through his hair. After waiting for part of the crowd to disperse, he quickly found the list with his name on it next to three others. Eren Jaeger, Marco Bodt, and Connie Springer. Jean was in the room next to theirs with three others named Bertholdt, Reiner, and Thomas. The room on the other side contained Franz, Samuel, Daz, and Nac.

The girls were on the next floor up. The majority of rooms were full, but two had only three girls in them. Mikasa was stuck with Sasha and a girl with similarly dark hair named Mina. The other three person room held girls named Ymir, Krista, and Hannah.

Eren turned to Armin hopefully. "Do you happen to know where our room is located?"

"Did you even look at the map they gave us?"

"I made the pleasant assumption that you would know where to go."

Armin sighed and headed towards a staircase on the left side of the foyer. Eren grabbed Connie's shoulder as he walked by the petrified boy and gently pushed him in the direction of Armin. Marco let out a slight laugh and followed Eren, having been trying to console Connie. After climbing the massive steps, Armin stopped at the first floor and passed a community bathroom, walking towards the room marked A3. Floor A had even numbered rooms along one wall and odd numbered ones along the other. The group stepped into the room cautiously and spotted two sets of uniforms on each bed. Prior to changing, Armin reviewed his schedule for when they had to be out and raised his brows when he saw that they had roughly five minutes. Rapidly adopting the position of room mom, he forced the boys into action and had them ready to go in time for 3DMG training in the courtyard.


	3. Operation 3DMG

Armin couldn't help the bead of sweat that broke along his forehead as he carefully balanced in his 3DMG straps. Some members of the survey corps, the military branch most trained in 3DMG, had stopped by to help on their day off and were cheering him on, encouraging him with stories of how much worse they'd been when they first started. It was but a minor comfort. Stable for the moment, he glanced over, spotting Mikasa balanced perfectly in place, as if she were used to the position. The majority of cadets had been late, with the exception of Armin's crew, which spared them from an embarrassing scolding. Armin turned his head in the other direction, noting with secondhand embarrassment that Eren was flipped upside down.

In the distance, if one listened carefully, they could hear Sasha's groans of exertion as she completed her 18th lap. One of the corps members, with yellowish-orange hair, began to lower him down. "You did perfectly fine," she smiled at him warmly. She began to walk away, when Armin stopped her.

"Excuse me, but how long have you been in the survey corps?"

She blinked in surprise. "Well, actually, I joined only just before Wall Maria fell. I don't think I could have signed up had I been still training that day. Are you thinking about joining us?" At Armin's hesitation, she laughed. "I'm not surprised. Most people think we're nuts. I'm Petra." She shook his hand. "I hope training goes well for you..."

"Armin."

"Armin, then." She glanced past him to where Eren still remained upside down. "Is that a friend of yours? He might need some help getting down from there. The other trainees seem to have abandoned him."

Armin sighed and wandered over to where Eren was still struggling to get up. Mikasa had followed him over and assisted him in lowering Eren. Armin winced at the anger on Eren's face and made to console him, "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it Eren, even I managed to do it after a few tries."

Mikasa glanced at the building where the other cadets were filing in. She led the way over, and snagged a table for them while the other two grabbed lunch. They were in some form of a mess hall, that in comparison to the rest of the R.A. seemed crudely constructed. As they sat, they saw without the slightest surprise that Jean had joined Mikasa and was attempting to talk with her. The girl abruptly stood and went to retrieve her own meal as soon as they were seated.

Jean scowled at the two boys. "This is beyond unfair. How is it that she hangs out with creeps like you two?"

Personally, Armin thought 'creeps' was a bit of a low blow, but ignored it and began eating his lunch. Eren, however, more fiery than a metaphorical redhead, jumped into action. "Excuse me?"

"Whoa, man, slip of the mouth," Jean's ridiculous hair was brushed back with a flick of his hand. "My apologies, it seems to me that we've started on the wrong foot."

Armin, not one for conflict, would have accepted the apology and carried on eating. For Eren, however, such a feat was impossible. He drew himself up for a retort when Mikasa reappeared, nodding curtly at the three before moving to sit near Sasha, who whined at the sight of food. A girl with long blonde hair held a suspicious loaf of bread in her hands, clearly ripped in half. Mikasa spoke with the two briefly before shaking her head and leaving her baked potato for Sasha's consumption. She had just rejoined the boys when a member of the survey corps came rushing into the room.

Armin glanced at Petra as she dashed by, making her way to Shadis in the back of the room. Eren turned to Armin. "What could that have been about?"

"Beats me." Armin shrugged before getting up to put his dishes in the 'to be washed' pile. As he passed by Shadis, he overheard the conversation Shadis and Petra were having.

"How could she survive out there?" The man asked, calm for once in front of one he respected.

"We don't know anything yet. She was barely conscious, she only told us her name. As of what I last heard, five days ago, she hadn't woken up since. But she's definitely alive. And not a scratch on her even though she was in the middle of titan territory. Commander Erwin wants it kept quiet for now, but it won't be long before it spreads like wildfire. He wants you to be prepared, however. There's a strong chance Erwin will want her under your eyes."

"You mean, enroll her in the academy? Teach her? Isn't that dangerous?"

Petra sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It's the lesser of evils. It beats letting her run free. I assume she'll be questioned prior, though she'll probably join you as soon as possible."

"And what is this mysterious girl's name?"

"Annie Leonhardt."

Shadis was unimpressed. Armin carried on walking, so as to not arouse suspicion by standing near the trash bin for so long. As he neared his table, Mikasa directed her attention to him. "What took so long?"

"I overheard Shadis's conversation with Petra."

Jean narrowed his eyes. "Petra?"

"The survey corps member. She was talking to me earlier."

Eren leaned closer. "Well, what did they say?"

Armin fidgeted, uncomfortable. "I'm sure you'll hear about it soon. It, well, it's kinda crazy."

Eren frowned and poked Armin in the side. "Come on, we can get rid of horseface."

Jean glared at the insult and stood with a flourish of his arm. "Fine, I see when I'm not wanted." He adjusted his jacket and approached the table Marco sat at. Armin watched until he collapsed into the chair, then turned back to his friends. Mikasa watched in curiosity as Armin explained.

"Well, I didn't hear much, but I know that Commander Erwin of the Scouts wanted it quiet." Armin hopefully checked his friends' faces to see if that deterred them, though unfortunately it hadn't. He resumed quietly, "It sounds like they found a girl outside the wall. Alive. At least five days ago."

"What?" Eren was incredulous. "That's impossible! She'd have been killed. There aren't people outside, you must have heard wrong."

Mikasa lowered her eyes to the remaining food in front of her. "Assuming that is true, where did she come from, and by what means did she make it here? Why would she come here?"

Armin shook his head. "I told you what I know. It's just that, it sounded like she might be joining us here, so the higher ups can keep an eye on her."

Eren stretched, thoughtful. "Well, do you know this girl's name?"

"I think it's Annie," Armin kept his voice low as Shadis passed. Mikasa followed his gaze and remained silent. Eren mulled over it for a moment before abandoning the topic.

His lips pressed together for a moment before opening to take a breath. "I need help. If I can't master gear, I can't stay here."

Mikasa glanced up at him. "You could sneak out to practice tonight."

"Mikasa?" Armin was surprised that she had been the one to suggest rule-breaking.

"Look, if you're that worried about it, we can ask around for some tips beforehand."

"Tips on breaking out or 3DMG?" Armin frowned slightly, doubt filling his thoughts.

Mikasa seemed thoughtful. "Both, I guess. Sasha seemed adept at sneaking out of line, I'm sure I could bribe her into spilling her secrets."

"Mikasa..." Armin trailed off with the hint of a whine to his voice.

Eren nodded to himself before grinning. "Alright. Let's do it. Armin, where are we going next?"

"Class," he replied drily. "You should keep track of your own schedule."

"That's not happening for a while." Armin rolled his eyes, but after useless protesting, eventually consented to the plan.

* * *

Later that night, the two boys appeared outside Mikasa's room. Eren knocked lightly, and Mina opened the door. Her black hair, usually tied back in loose pigtails was down, and instead of her military uniform, she was wearing civilian clothing. She glanced back at Mikasa, who nodded. She let the two in, and they sat on the spare bed.

Sasha was already curled up asleep on the bunk below Mikasa's, having accepted Mikasa's bribe. Mina had needed more persuasion, yet agreed to not divulge their secret as long as they agreed to help her in the future. Mikasa paced the room in her training belts and scarf, but had taken off her beige jacket. She stopped in front of Armin.

"So how are we getting out of here?"

The question was directed to him. "Wh-what?"

Eren ruffled his hair fondly. "You're the man with the plan, right? What're we doing?"

Armin blanched. He had blindly assumed that Mikasa had an idea. "Well, um. Does anyone have rope?"

Mina frowned from her bunk. "I seriously doubt someone just brought-"

Mikasa interrupted her as she pawed through Sasha's bag, "I know Sasha does. She used part of it to get into the kitchen. Speaking of which, she's a pretty deep sleeper, even when hungry, it's impressive." She pulled the tool from her bag. "Alright, Armin, what am I doing with this?"

Mina turned pale. "Is, is that a grappling hook?"

Armin firmly situated the device on the windowsill and after opening the window, dropped the rope below. It easily hit the ground with a slap. "And down we go."

Eren stepped onto the sill, firmly grabbing onto the rope. He lowered himself down, slowly walking down the side of the building. After he landed, Mikasa went next, sliding down with ease. Armin nervously stepped out, latching onto the rope, taking his time down. By the time he was on the ground, Mikasa was already helping Eren into the equipment.

* * *

After what had been roughly an hour of trial, with no success, Mikasa took the liberty of beginning to unhook Eren from the machine. His forehead had a bleeding scratch on it, which she took as a sign that he should be done. The three headed back towards their rope, when they noted with despair that it was missing from sight. A brief search in the bushes concluded that Mina had thrown the entire thing down.

"Shit," Eren muttered under his breath. "Now what?"

Armin took a deep breath. Going through the front was impossible. They'd be stopped on their way in. All conceivable entrances, including kitchen doors (thanks to Sasha) were guarded 24/7. He gazed at the windows nearby, and counted to which room was his and Eren's. The lights were off, but the room next to it was brightly lit.

"Alright," he whispered. "This is our only chance. We're going to need Jean's help."

Eren grimaced, but listened as Armin explained. Mikasa seemed slightly offended, but sighed her consent. Eren braced himself, and Mikasa ran at him, jumping into his outstretched palm. She jumped up, grabbing hold of Jean's windowsill. Peering in, she lightly knocked on the window. It opened momentarily.

"Um, hi," Mikasa smiled nervously.

"Not that this isn't a welcome surprise, but why are you outside my window, two floors off the ground?" Jean innocently blundered. Deep laughter could be heard from behind him, and a blonde poked his head out past her.

"Well, I kinda need your help," Mikasa admitted sweetly. Armin pinched his lips together, trying to keep his laughter at bay. Eren's eyes flashed with indignation at Mikasa's act.

Jean and the blonde above Mikasa helped her in with an introduction. "I'm Reiner, you know Jean, Thomas, Bert. Who was down there with you?"

Mikasa's response was muffled at best, but it was evidently loud enough for Eren, who had turned red. Mikasa reappeared at the window, and threw down the rope for the boys. They painstakingly climbed up into the room, and sat catching their breath. Mikasa smiled at Jean and Reiner, as if sincerely thanking them, but her eyes showed that she was dead inside. More importantly, she was probably going to murder Armin for forcing her to act as though the two were her saviors. Thomas and Bertholdt were passed out on a bunk, which was incredibly lucky for them, as they wouldn't have to suffer Mikasa's wrath.

The three left the room, hook in tow, quietly shutting the door behind them. Armin lost it almost immediately, stifling laughter through a hand to his mouth. Mikasa was less than pleased.

"Next time, I'd rather get caught. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to find out exactly why Mina dropped this." Mikasa stalked off, holding the hook like a weapon.

Armin and Eren stumbled back into their room, where both Connie and Marco were waiting for news.

Marco stared at their faces eagerly. "Did you get it?"

Eren's somber face answered that and he took off his gear. Armin sighed, glancing out the window before flopping onto his bed. Through his quick glance, he spotted something rather peculiar. A flash of blonde hair entered the building, escorted by no less than five soldiers.

* * *

**Hey guys, I'm pretty sorry about this, but school's starting up again for me soon, so I'll probably only have the time to update once a week or so. Midterms are also starting soon, so I'll need to focus on those too. I'll try to get as much done as I can, but school's a priority for me. Sorry ^^'**


	4. The Arrival

Armin's pale, sky blue eyes opened to the sight of a colorless, bland ceiling that appeared to be cracking. He groaned, rubbing his head while an alarm screeched for him to get up. Below him, he could hear Eren's hand rustling towards the alarm, attempting to switch it off with half-asleep reflexes. He missed, and ended up sending it crashing to the ground, where it only screamed more.

Armin reluctantly swung his legs off the side of the bunk, where he was about to retrieve the device, when Marco, beat him to it, scooping it up in a hand. "How'd the training go?" Marco asked through a yawn, not remembering that he'd asked the night before.

Having already forgotten about it, Armin shrugged. Eren moaned with despair into his pillow, and Marco let out a shakey laugh. "Guess that answers that." He glanced at the bunk above him where Connie still lay, dead asleep. Marco gently shook the boy, increasing the vigor of his attempt when he remained motionless. Armin smiled slightly before grabbing his uniform and heading out the room. He was certain that Marco would wake the two boys fully, and headed toward the bathroom without delay.

As he turned the corner to where the restroom and staircase were, a short, hurried, blonde creature bumped into him. "Whoa," he called out, steadying himself against a wall. "Where are you off to in such a rush?"

A girl he didn't recognize stood in front of him, dignity and pride coming off of her in wavelengths. Her blonde hair was tightly twisted into a bun, and while her blue eyes showed no open hostility, she didn't seem entirely interested in what he had to say. She muttered under her breath and turned around, retreating to the staircase. "Put some pants on, dipshit."

Armin couldn't help but glance down in horror, realizing he was still in the boxers and shirt he slept in. It wasn't his fault that a girl had gone down their hallway. Quite the contrary, right? Hot embarrassment flooded him, turning his ears pink, but he entered the bathroom and quickly changed into his uniform. On his way back, he found Mikasa lurking outside their door.

He glanced at her, but her eyes were shut, nose buried in the soft, red scarf she always wore. Shrugging, he opened the door and found Marco still nudging Connie. He turned to Armin out of desperation, and the blonde gestured for him to start getting ready. Half changed, but without a shirt, Eren stumbled for the door until Armin stopped him. "Mikasa's right outside."

The green eyed boy sighed, throwing a cream top on and grabbing his training jacket. "I'll see you at breakfast."

Armin refocused his thoughts on Connie's sad state. Unable to come up with a better idea, he climbed to his bunk and tweaked his arm the way his old bullies used to. With a cry of alarm, Connie woke, attempting to shove Armin away. He ungracefully climbed down and reminded the boy that it was time to wake. Deciding against further persuasion to get the idiot out of bed, Armin left the room entirely and strolled downstairs.

Still with fifteen minutes to spare before going to the mess hall, he decided to explore the area slightly, soon finding a sad looking recreational room that held little more than a pool table and a few decks of cards. Armin carried on, almost missing the wooden door that lay slightly ajar. Stepping inside, he found himself surrounded by books. A library. It had been a long time since he'd seen one of those.

Peeking in, he was surprised to see the same girl he'd run into only moments before. The door creaked slightly, causing her to spring into action. Before he knew what was happening, Armin was tasting the dusty carpet, hardly able to breathe. "Umf, get off!" He mumbled through the flooring.

Bored, the girl pushed her bangs behind her ear and let him up, not extending a hand to help. "I don't like it when people follow me. But at least you have pants this time."

Her voice seemed empty to Armin, but he didn't dare to believe that she was so nonchalant. "I-I wasn't following you! I was just- I saw the door open- I-" he stumbled for an excuse, lost.

"Whatever." The girl turned away and stalked out. Armin picked himself up, following, yet promising that he'd come back to the glorious room. He strode pathetically out, almost wincing when she turned back to him. She was calm, scarily so. But she also wasn't going anywhere.

Armin hesitated before speaking, "Um, are you looking for something?"

She sighed, unwilling to admit her intentions. "The mess hall. I didn't get a tour."

Her voice was quiet, but not unkind. Relaxing partially, Armin smiled. "I doubt any of us did." He began moving in the right direction. When the girl didn't move, he waved a hand for her to follow. "It's this way; I was headed there myself. Well, come on."

She let out another sigh and stalked towards him with the stealth and alertness of a fox. She drew a white hood over her head and shoved her small hands in her pockets.

"So," Armin began, as politely as he could, "what's your name? I didn't get to meet you yesterday."

Her blue eyes flickered up to his kind face and she spoke quietly, "Annie."

Armin's eyes widened in shock. This was the girl that had been found outside the wall! He cleared his throat, hoping to wipe away his stunned expression. "I'm Armin. What brings you to the R.A?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions," Annie grumbled, but she answered anyways, "I-". She paused as if thinking, "I don't really know."

For a moment, it was as if she'd dropped her guard and a flash of pain struck her. Her eyes lit with sadness, but she pushed it away. "What about you?"

"Well," Armin placed the words together in his mind before speaking them aloud, "I want to help in humanity's struggle. I want to make something of my life, I don't want to live picking vegetables all the time. I don't mind dying, not if its for freedom's sake."

She laughed. An honest, hard, almost uncalled for laugh. "Well, you're certainly something. I wouldn't want to get in the way of those precious aspirations." Minor offense coursed through him, and he remained quiet. She softened slightly. "But then again, what am I but a feeble maiden? What would I know?"

It was his turn to laugh. "I don't think you're that feeble. You had me pinned to the ground before I could think."

"You're just weak," she replied without expression.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I can't try to make a difference." He glanced at her tentatively, but she was silent. As they approached the mess hall, Mina appeared at the doorway, surprisingly unharmed. Annie brushed past her, but Armin paused.

"Mina!" Armin neared, "What happened?"

Mina's eyes were wide. "I'm sure Mikasa will tell you. But I swear, I didn't want to leave you all out there. I didn't have any choice." She seemed terrified, her body on high alert.

"It's alright, d-don't be upset," he attempted to console her, but the girl just slipped away wordlessly.

Shrugging, he entered the room and retrieved his food before moving to sit next to an aggravated Mikasa. "What happened?" He asked around a mouthful of food.

She grimaced, and Eren's mouth grew tight. Armin raised a brow and spotted a familiar white sweatshirt. He was about to call out to Annie when Mikasa covered his mouth with a heavy hand. "Invite her and I swear, Armin, I will punch you so hard that you will never have children."

Armin's voice died out in his throat. Satisfied, Mikasa lowered her hand. "After I got back to the room, Mina burst into tears. I gave her a moment to collect herself and she told me Shadis came by to tell us that we were getting a new roommate. Mina told him I was in the bathroom, but didn't have time to pull the hook up. I was barely in the room when blondie over there comes in."

Eren fidgeted uncomfortably. Armin lowered his voice, "Mikasa, what's wrong?"

"Something about her is... Bad." Mikasa was hardly articulate, paranoia evident in her voice. "Sasha felt it too."

Eren scoffed, "You trust potato girl?"

Sensing trouble, Armin stiffened. Mikasa stood abruptly, face cold. Eren watched as she icily glided away. Armin slowly loosened his posture before turning to his friend for an explanation. Eren shook his head. "I was willing to give the girl a chance, but Mikasa's adamant about it. But, whatever. Have you met the new girl yet?"

Armin nodded slowly. "She's..." He had to a brief flashback to her calling him weak. "Interesting for sure."

Trainees began to file out of the room, pausing to dump their trays. Eren ran a hand through his hair and yawned before following. "Tell me about it later, I've got 3DMG to master, now." He grinned, but Armin found it hard to smile back, wondering about Mikasa's premonition.

* * *

That took a bit longer than I expected. I hope to get a second chapter out this week to make up for it. Sorry if the characters almost seem like OCs, this has just been an idea I've had for a little while. We'll see a bit more of Annie and get some more info out of her soon. Thanks for reading!


	5. Prelude to Survival

The entire courtyard was still. It seemed as though no one was breathing as they waited for a sign of Eren's fall. The brown haired boy's green eyes were completely focused on remaining upright in the 3DMG trainer. It worked for a moment, before he came crashing down, bumping his head on the ground with a sickening 'thud'. The surrounding trainees let out groans of despair. Eren's eyes widened and he begged to be given another chance, to which Shadis pointed for the machine to be lowered.

Armin was filled with despair. Beside him, Mikasa seemed to relax. "If Eren gets kicked out for this, I'm leaving with him."

Armin lowered his eyes to the ground. "I understand. But I can't say I'll follow. It was always my dream to see the outside world. I want to be free."

Armin hardly noticed the presence beside him until she laughed a high, mocking laugh. "Are you always this gallant?"

Annie stared at him unblinkingly. Armin looked down at the short girl and couldn't help smiling ever so slightly. "And if I am?"

Mikasa clutched his arm with sharp nails. "Look."

Shadis stood in front of Eren as the boy replaced a belt on his gear. Eren was once again brought into position, and he remained upright, in no danger of falling. "The buckle on your gear's broken. It should have been impossible for you to hit your head like that with functional gear. Let this be a warning to you all about the importance of gear maintenance."

Armin beamed at his friend, who was searching the crowd for him. Mikasa's eyes clouded and all she said was, "I see."

Eren let out a whoop of delight and was lowered safely to the ground. After unhooking, he rushed to his friends. "See, Mikasa? I told you I could do it."

Armin paused briefly, lost in thought. "Eren, you were able to stay up in defective equipment. That's almost impossible to believe." He turned to where he'd last seen Annie. "Have you gone y-"

The girl had disappeared into the crowd, not bothering to linger. Shrugging, he turned back to the encouraged Eren and mildly concerned Mikasa. Shadis called for attention, and the three disbanded. Hand to hand combat was to follow, a skill that was not entirely useful against Titans, but proved good exercise.

As Eren hailed Reiner over, Armin held a brief moment of panic. A kind hand tapped his shoulder. He turned hesitantly to see a tall, dark haired boy standing awkwardly behind him. The hulking guy smiled nervously. "Um, hi, do you have a partner? I didn't know your name."

Armin shook his head politely. "I'm Armin."

"Bertholdt."

The two uncomfortably watched the drill, Armin concerned that his attacks wouldn't be effective against the massive Bertholdt. The two stepped into formation, and as Bertholdt rushed towards him, Armin found that his offensive was strong enough to make the boy at least lose his balance. They alternated between drilling for a while until Armin heard a slight clamor.

Reiner was taunting Annie, who glared at him with cerulean orbs. Armin took a step back, ruining his advantage as Bertholdt rushed him. The boy knocked him over and sputtered out seemingly hundreds of apologies. Armin winced and sat up, slightly nauseated at the sight of Annie opposing Eren. Before he knew what was happening, Eren was on the ground, Reiner soon following.

Armin couldn't suppress his gasp of astonishment. Bertholdt followed his gaze and grinned. "Surprised? Annie's a great fighter."

Armin smirked slightly before his smile fell. "Do you know her?" The girl had lived outside the wall, right? Had he misheard?

Bertholdt blushed. "N-Not really. I just noticed today."

"Oh." Armin dropped the conversation, sensing the boy's discomfort. "Well it looks like training's almost up. Do you have class next?"

"No, kitchen duty, then more training, lunch, then class for me." Bertholdt appeared to have fully memorized his schedule.

Armin was at a loss. "I barely know where I'm headed next." A bird twittered loudly, interrupting them. Unwilling to catch Shadis's piercing eyes, the two finished their bouting before heading their separate ways. Armin was pleased to notice Eren stumbling toward him, Annie and Reiner close behind. The green eyed boy grimaced at his friend, envious of his lack of injury.

Eren limped eagerly away from the girl towards Armin. "Lead on."

Armin nodded, soon realizing that the two others were waiting for him to lead the way. Reiner grinned cockily. "Eren said you've memorized this place."

He blushed slightly. "Well, not fully. Just some of the more important places."

Annie brushed by him. "Well, get going already. We'll be late."

"R-right." Armin took the lead inside and up three flights of stairs to where most of the classrooms were. There, they met Connie, Sasha, Mina, Marco, Franz, Samuel, Mikasa, and two girls that stood to themselves, one a short blonde and the other a tall, dark haired girl with freckles. Annie and Reiner separated from Armin and Eren, lingering in the bright hallway. The two boys followed Mikasa into the right classroom.

The room was not equipped with much. A sea of desks lay sprawled about to the left, where Franz, Connie, and Sasha had already found seats. To the right hung a single dusty chalkboard and a small bookshelf. Armin took a seat on the far side of the room, next to a window in the front. Eren plopped down beside him, and Mikasa sat behind Eren. Marco soon filled the spot behind Mikasa, and Mina sat two seats behind Armin, next to the dark haired boy with freckles. The rest of the seats in the room had filled, leaving Annie to take the desk behind Armin. As she moved in her chair, he fidgeted uncomfortably, but she had turned to Mina, asking for a pencil.

Mikasa yawned quietly to herself as a young woman stepped into the room. She saluted the class, grin on her face. The tension of the group ebbed away as they returned the respectful gesture.

"Good afternoon!" She greeted. The class echoed her words in a scattered chorus and she leaned against the large desk in the center of the room. "My name is Ms. Leavitt. I'll be your primary instructor. Now, let's start with a question. Does anyone here know what this course entails?"

Silence answered her, and she laughed. "So I guess this will be a bit of a surprise for you. This class is a survival camp. We'll have three days of class, then a preliminary round of practical work, and we'll go from there. If all goes well for you, you'll be done in about two months. If you fail, however; there's a more dire consequence." Her voice lowered as she pulled her mousy hair into a bun. "If you fail this course, you'll be expelled from the R.A. No appeal, no second chances. If you can't do this, you aren't worthy to be here."

It was as though you could hear a pin drop. Nervous tension raged through the air, and suddenly it was too warm in the building. A sarcastic voice behind Armin floated out, "well given the sheer density of upperclass idiots, it can't be that hard to pass. If they could, I'm sure anyone here can."

The instructor flashed a smile at Annie as if to lighten the cold way she remained fixed on the girl. "And you would be?"

Annie stood slowly, mocking her with a salute. "Annie Leonhardt."

"Ah, yes," Ms. Leavitt nodded sharply, "our little foreigner. You, Ms. Leonhardt, are in particularly no place to fail. To pass my class, you'll need more than intelligence and common sense. You need something to fight for. Now, sit down."

* * *

This has taken a ridiculously long amount of time to update and I really don't ave an excuse, but I am so sorry D:


	6. The Trial Run (Part 1)

The blazing summer sun scorched Armin's pale skin, making him grateful for the long sleeved clothing he'd been provided. He blinked a few times as his horse progressed into the woods, the sudden shift from light to dark immediately releasing the intensity of heat blaring down on him.

It was the first assessment.

They'd been divided into two classes, and the team that worked together best was to win a full training day off- quite the respite from the burning sun. Armin glanced torward the instructor as he slowed to a halt. "Alright trainees, this is where I leave you. You have your instructions, and as long as you don't die, we'll see you tomorrow night." Without another word, he left them, the trainees knowing their duties and understanding them fully.

It was at that moment that the previously silent Annie slid off her horse and promptly vomited into a bush.

The cadets said nothing, not wanting to approach the matter. They'd learned by now that when it came to the tempermental girl, it was best to leave well enough alone.

She spat into the woods, scowling. "Dammit."

The dynamics of the trip suddenly shifted. With one of the powerhouses of the group ill, and who knew how serious it was, they were, to a large extent, screwed. Unfortunately for him, Armin knew what had to happen.

"This doesn't change anything." He nervously flicked his eyes to the small group surrounding him. "First thing's first, we need a base camp."

Annie stumbled as she stood up and remounted her horse. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Not wanting to end up on her bad side, the group progressed further into the woods, Armin taking careful note of the situation in his log. It wasn't long before they had to stop again for her. She was growing pale, even with the sunburn they'd all been receiving as of late.

Mikasa was the one who ended it. "This is far enough. We can set up here. You can't go any further."

A scowl crossed Annie's face, but her protests were outnumbered. The girl had been in charge of being the Western lookout, but in her state, that would be impossible. Instead, someone would be pulled from the water surveyors. They didn't have any supplies with themselves, but the practice expedition was only about a day long, and though they'd be uncomfortable without water in the scorching heat, no one would die.

However, there was one issue. If they pulled someone from the water group, then their numbers would be off, and the group wouldn't have an even number. Armin and Mina were in charge of keeping the fire, one to watch it, tend it, and the other to gather wood, switching off occasionally. Armin had designed the system to the best of his ability, setting up messengers to report to him from various sections so he could record their statuses. Instead of messing up a system that wasn't broken even more, he had elected to switch out Mina, meaning that he had to deal with Annie - for the entire trip.

But not just her usual irritated self, her ill, enraged self.

As everyone deployed for their own respective parts, they gave him sympathetic nods and murmurs of consolation. Eren went so far as to clap him on the shoulders and wish him luck, before heading to search for water with Mikasa and Franz. Once it was found, and once Sasha and her small group had found something for them all to eat, they would return and he wouldn't have to be alone with the blonde girl anymore. He just had to survive until then. Moments passed, then everything was still. Armin was left with the only person in the class that probably hated him.

A light cough. That was all he needed to jump out of his stupor. Annie stood a few feet behind him, almost swaying on her feet. No matter what she claimed, the girl was not alright. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him.

"I'll tell you this right now: I don't care about this stupid training exercise." If it was possible, she paled even more as she clamped her mouth shut, willing herself into health. "Even so... I need revenge." Her eyes flashed dangerously, though her body screamed unwell.

"Revenge?" Armin echoed, not understanding.

She scowled. "On the other team. I ate with some of them earlier, they put something in my food, likely because they knew we had a plan and wanted to disrupt it. The bastards."

Armin blinked at her, watching in silence as she pushed her bangs out of the way. But then, it dawned on him that her unpleasant disposition wasn't aimed at him, and likely wouldn't be for the duration of her sickness. The thought made him grin. "Well, alright. Then let's get started. Can you clear out a spot for a fire pit? It'll get cold quickly out here, and we'll need to cook whatever Sasha manages to find."

She nodded, then took a sidelong glance at him. "Isn't that technically illegal? Wow, Armin. I never would have thought it."

Armin took a step back, then broke her chilling eye contact. "The monarchy hasn't approved of hunting much since the wall fell, so her group's job is technically to find edible plants and assist in finding water. However, it's not likely that she would pass up on game if she found it. Besides, Mikasa pointed out earlier that if Sasha's group was caught poaching, the rest of us couldn't be held to the same punishment if they got caught. And as long as no one here makes note of what happened, it's unlikely that anyone could find out."

Annie let out a slight sound of disapproval, but said nothing on the matter, electing to start clearing a fire pit. Making the decision to begin collecting wood, Armin ventured out for a small amount of time, returning often to drop off some kindling and a few larger chunks of wood. However, for the most part, everything was quiet, and no one had reported any disturbances. By the time Armin figured he had enough wood for about an hour, Annie had managed to surround a small cleared out area with rocks.

She sat still, pale as death, leaning against a tree. Armin approached her quietly, as though she were a wounded animal. "How're you feeling?"

She didn't say anything in reply for a moment, before she spat out, resigned, "Weak."

The fire sparked to a start under his hands, lighting up the darkening site. He glanced back at her, softly answering with, "Is that really so bad? You can't be strong all the time."

Her voice, quieter than usual from her agony, sounded, "You wouldn't understand."

With the fire starting to grow by itself, he threw a couple of thicker chunks on it, and retreated to near where she was sitting. "Well, then help me to. Why wouldn't I?" His voice was light, as though trying to encourage her to speak.

The fire crackled some more, it being the only sound around - even the tree leaves weren't rustling. Then, she replied, "It's because you've always been weak; you just don't know how to be strong."

The words might have stung someone like Eren. They might have aggravated someone like Mikasa. But to Armin, he didn't mind it much - it was simply truth.

"I don't know that that necessarily matters. There are plenty of different people around, some strong, some weak. I was there when Shiganshina fell, and yeah, I'll admit I've always needed other people than they've needed me. But being a 'strong' person is just a social construct. Without someone weaker than them, the strong are just average. In a way, the two need each other."

"I can't say I'm convinced." Her knees were to her chest, arms looped around her legs, but whereas before she'd seemed in pain, she was at least now distracted from it.

Armin smiled slightly. "Alright, then, think of it this way - look at all these sticks." He picked up a few thinner, smaller ones and held them delicately in his hand. "One by one, they break." He snapped each in half before grabbing a thicker, stronger piece. He broke that piece as well before adding, "Even the strong ones."

At this point, he had Annie's full attention. "And your point is?"

"We're getting there." This time he picked up a few frail sticks along with some sturdy ones, bunching them together. He made to snap the small pile, but it only cracked a little under his touch, instead of breaking. "Together, they can make it. The strong support the weak, and in turn the weak add more stability so that they don't all break."

Armin turned to catch Annie's expression, but instead of wonder or awe as he'd been hoping for, she was still expressionless. Yet it was only for a moment before she started making a light almost gasping sound. It took him a while to realize she was laughing.

The laughter was light and only lasted for a few precious seconds, but it was devoid of something - as though she didn't actually know how to laugh.

"I think that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." She wiped away tears of laughter from her eyes. She held her hand out for Armin to put the same wood in her hands. With a sharp jerk of her hands, the stack snapped in two. "It only works for as long as it takes for a higher adversity to reach them. Then, they break. The strong always win."

Armin shook his head. He thought he'd been getting somewhere with her. "Alright, but the adversity can't last forever, and there's only one of you. Are you saying you could break every stick in the world before you die?"

Annie grew silent. "Isn't that exactly what the Titans did?"

Sobering, his voice fell flat. "We aren't dead yet." He tossed another log on the fire, watching it burn away. "There's always hope. We all have something to live for."

Annie turned away from him focusing intently on the billowing flames. "Not everyone," she murmured, as though to herself. Before he could reply, concern stirring inside him, a loud crash rang through the clearing.

A mop of dark hair tripped, falling flat on the ground. "We found it!" Eren called as he readjusted himself and sprang to his feet. He took in the sight of the two blondes and shook his head. "And you're still in one piece!"

Annie rose unsteadily. "Pardon me, but the sight of you is making me sick again."

They sensed that the words weren't serious, though the girl was still ill. The so called water patrol assisted with retrieving more fuel before settling down for most of the night. Though Annie protested, she too eventually curled up near the fire, not expected to switch onto a new watch. Sasha's group had been unable to find any game of any sort, but enough wild plants had been gathered that the group could at least have a small supper.

Early morning, before dawn, Armin roused the trainees, sending them to relieve the watches and messengers so that the others could get some rest. All was well, for the moment, so he leaned against the tree, shutting his eyes and falling asleep from pure weariness.

He awoke to chaos.

* * *

Hey guys, so as you evidently know, I don't really update this much, and I'm not really sure where I'm going with it, so basically this will probably be one of the last few chapters unless anyone requests it to continue. I'll probably do the next chapter and then stop.


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